Matching Items (2)
Description
Transitioning adult education students to post-secondary programs and community college requires deliberate intervention and support services. This dissertation study was part of a larger action research study aimed at increasing transitions to college for non-traditional adult students by providing support and resources to adult education providers and staff. Earlier cycles of the study examined student and institutional barriers to participation and revealed missing college bridge activities. This specific cycle of research addressed one of these barriers, the need for increased access to transition information, through the creation of an online resource toolkit for students and staff. This study explored the affect of the toolkit on staff attitude and motivation related to campus transition activities, their use of the online toolkit, and the need for additional resources and strategies to better implement transitions programs. The data for this project was collected through pre- and post-intervention surveys, technology acceptance model (TAM) questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and website analytics. It included a concurrent mixed methods quantitative and qualitative approach to analysis. Overall, the resource toolkit was well received, useful, and easy to use. Staff attitude and motivation shifted toward stronger support and intention to participate in transition activities like college-talk and campus culture. Considerations moved away from perceived obstacles related to college transitions. As part of this study, participants shared strategies for further development and expansion of the toolkit, ideas for promoting equity and access to transition services for all students, aligning staff vision and institutionalizing practices, and building college-going cultures and student college identities through counseling and curriculum. All of these efforts are designed to have adult students see themselves as successful learners and provide the support necessary to make college a real opportunity for all.
ContributorsStiehl, Michele (Author) / Nelson, Brian (Thesis advisor) / Diaz, Emma (Committee member) / Ross, Lydia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Since understanding the nature of proteins, it has been a long held belief that protein sequence dictated structure which then determined function. As such, all proteins contained structure and those that did not must not serve a purpose. For the last 25 years, scientists have begun to understand that disordered proteins, lacking structure, did not lack function. Their unique ability to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation served a cellular purpose, most involving nucleic acids. As more is uncovered, these unique proteins are being used to build new systems. Phase separated disordered proteins were used to design a functional organelle using the enzyme horseradish peroxidase and its chromatic substrate ABTS. Upon doing so, it was discovered that disordered proteins are highly susceptible to chemical modification through radical reactions with tyrosine. The increased frequency of tyrosine in disordered proteins provides multiple sites of conjugation by the ABTS radical and other substrates. These modifications then alter the physical properties of the proteins. The phase separated system was also incorporated with shell proteins from bacterial microcompartments in an attempt to limit access to the droplets. Through expression with truncations of the disordered sequence, shell proteins were able to interact with the droplets. Despite the appearance of complete coatings, they were found to be permeable to their surroundings, though much more stable than uncoated droplets. Just as disordered proteins are considered outside the traditional structures, so too are many students entering higher education. Non-traditional students are becoming more prevalent in the undergraduate population, though they are woefully underrepresented in the natural sciences. The benefits these students bring to their programs is highlighted and the circumstances that drive them away from STEM is explored. Non-traditional students contribute to the diversity of the scientific population, though many pursue education in non-STEM fields. To support these students, focus is put on andragogy (the teaching of adults), rather than pedagogy (the teaching of children). Non-traditional students face isolation and discrimination that is not being addressed by higher education institutions, hindering their ability to succeed. Through infrastructure designed for adult learners, STEM fields can be diversified in non-traditional ways.
ContributorsCostantino, Michele (Author) / Ghirlanda, Giovanna (Thesis advisor) / Mills, Jeremy (Committee member) / Matyushov, Dmitry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024